EarthAbbey @ Greenbelt 2011

We are pleased to announce that EarthAbbey and some of its members have a strong presence at this year’s Greenbelt Festival.
Taking place at the Cheltenham Racecourse over the August Bank Holiday weekend, Greenbelt offers a mix of talks, music, visual and performing arts, worship, comedy, literature and film for all ages, aiming to inform, inspire and challenge those who want to ‘re-imagine the Christian narrative for the present moment.’

The following events all have some connection with EarthAbbey:
Event 1: Chris Sunderland; The Breath of Life. Friday, 8.30 pm, The Fire. A meditation led by EarthAbbey members focused on the life of God present in creation.
Event 2: Alan Mann; Allotment Atonement, Friday, 9.00pm, Abide Tent. Reflective voices weave together the transforming nature of the atonement with the socially inclusive, politically challenging and environmentally and economically transforming process that is working the land. Many tend to think of turning a piece of land over to growing as an escape from the world: a tranquil oasis and a retreat from the chaos and challenges of life. In reality, there is a long history of seeing land given over to growing, as something much more radical. The hope is to enliven people’s imaginations to the possibility that having an allotment, turning your garden over to food production, or even redeeming a local wasteland, is more than just good for the soul - it can be an act of holistic transformation in line with Jesus’ pragmatic vision of the Kingdom of God and a fuller understanding of the atonement.
Event 3: Bruce Stanley; How to Read the Second Book of God. Friday, 9.00 pm, Soul Space. A quick introduction to landscape reading, natural navigation, foraging and tuning into signs of the transcendent in the wild. Tools and ideas to deepen our understanding of God in nature. An informative and meditative session from the Greenbelt foragers.
Event 4: Chris Sunderland; The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth. Saturday, 7.00 pm, Abide Tent. Based on the story of Naboth’s vineyard as a perennial tale of land and dispossession. The presentation takes us into the temple with Isaiah as he reaches the depths of despair, to the outer court of the temple as Jeremiah denounces the king, to the Peruvian rainforest as the army confronts indigenous people and to the Scottish Highlands as the people are cleared from the land to make way for sheep. It ends on the hillsides of Galilee.
Event 5: Bruce Stanley; Nature as Spiritual Director. Saturday, 9.00 pm, Soul Space. How does nature refresh us? How can we encourage a deeper encounter with God during our time in nature: walking, foraging, watching and venturing and what messages might God have for us? Ideas to refresh your daily commute and inspire your own pilgrimage.
Event 7: All weekend there will be environmental activities, natural play and creativity for families and children lead by Pete Carthy (see bee-active.org)
Event 6: EarthAbbey Stand, all weekend in the Resource Tent.

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